The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-24
Several Passengers on the Britannia
Killed While Asleep.
Tremendous Hole Stove i'm the
Celtic's StarbOard Bow.
They Come Together in Fog-Panic on the Bri'
tannic Both Vessels Arrive at New
York Statements of Eye
Witnesses

steamer Etruria reported, Friday passing
four steamers 40 miles east of Sandy
Hook. of which one was the Celtic, and
that the latter seemed to have been i'm
collision, was teIegraphed Friday night.
The Britannia, which was the other YES
sci in collision. and the Celtic arrived
off the bar yesterday morning and
anchored to wait for the lifting of the
fog. The story told by the purser of the
Britannia is as follows:
Thursday, May 19. at 5:25 a. m., the
weather was calm and sea smooth with
a dense fog. The steamer Celtic, of the
White Star Line, from Liverpool, came
into collision with the steamer Britannia,
of the same line, from New York for
Liverpool, striking her on the port side
aft, and doing considerable damage.
The Britannic's boats were lowered and
filled with women and children from the
CABIN and steerage in a very orderly and
expeditions manner. II is to their shame
that several men forced themselves into
the boats also.
Meanwhile an examination was made
and the damage to the Britannia ascer-
tanned, and it being found that the ves-
sci was not likely To founder, such boats
as were within hail were recalled and
their occupants received on board. 9th
ers had boarded the Celtic. A pad was
made and placed over the hole in the
Britanic's side, and she was turned
about towards New York having ar
ranged with the Celtic to keep her com
pany. The saddest result of the acci-
dent is that several steerage passengers
who were lounging about aft at the time
of the collision We're killed and several
others injured. Both vessels, accompa-
MED by the steamships Marengo, from
Swansea for New York, and the British
Queen, from Liverpool for New York,
arrived at the bar at o'clock this morn
ing.
STORY OF \ BRTrANNiC PASSENGER.
Charles Richardson, man who has
had some experience as a St. Georges
Channel pilot, described what he saw of
the accident. He said: 1T was Thurs
day night about O'Clock, and we Were
about 800 miles out, l should judge. |
heard shout that the Celtic was head
ing on to us. L stood on the starboard
around the deck house. The Celtic, as
the vessel subsequently proved to be,
was coming dead ahead full on our
beam. l said: Surely she will strike
u.s. and l saw her trying to bear off, but
she was too close. When l first
yards away. 1t was foggy and L think
we were both going under half steam. l
thought when l saw her veer that she
would just miss us, and the captain OF
the Celtic was going to shake hands with
our captain off the bridge as the Celtic
passed alongside, but when l saw he
could not miss us, l jumped forward be-
fore the mainmast, on the port side, to
avoid being struck by the falling tim
bers and rigging. The bow of the Celtic
crashed into our boat just forward the
mizzen. As she scrapedour side, with
her nose on our deck, could feel the
shock and hear the heads of the bolts
fly off, one after another, like the rattle
of light field battery in action.
Il went below to look after a lady
under my care and saw the side of the
vessel torn away as the Celtic scraped
along the berths and the people in them
We're pushed along and were crushed To
pulp. l saw sufficient human remains
in a heap on the deck to make about five
bodies. 1t was sickening sight, and L
hope never to witness the like again.
Had not the Celtic changed her course
two points she would have crashed into
us plump on our beam. The mizzen and
jigger rigging and bulwarks were carried
away. Nothing but our water-tight
bulkheads saved us"
THE Kill ED AND WOUNDED.
1t was officially stated at the office of
the White Star Line. this morning. that
as far as known but four of the steerage
passengers killed i'm the collision between
the Celtic and the Brittanie were buried
at sea. OF this number, Jane Robinson.
13 years old. of Fall River, Mass, and
Jas. Timbury, of Jersey City, were
known to be killed outright. Two pas
sengers, James Greene and Adams
johnson, addresses unknown, are miss
ing and are supposed to belong to the
four who were buried at sea. Some of
the passengers insist that n addition to
this number, fieshy woman with black
hair was also killed and was given sea
burial. The official list of the in niured in
cludes:
ELIZABETH WAINWRIGHT. of East
Hampton. Mass, A years of age, slightly
injured,
MARY GRIFFIN. of Southport, Eng, q
years old, slightly injured.
DAVID RICKETTS,, aged 81, of Chicago.
head injured
III. NJ. DoNoGAN. address unknown
thigh broken.
MARK ALLEN, address unknown, hand
mashed.
WIN. LABOR, Queens County, Ireland,
age 65, thigh dislocated.
PATRICK BURK. County Mayo, Ireland
age 4s, ribs injured.
G. A. ROBINSON. age 13. (brother OF
Jane Robinson, in the list of the ki'ed)
compound fracture of the arm
And the Debt Question Unsettled.
RICHMOND, Va, May a3.-The Genera
Assembly to-day adopted a resolution
providing for an adjournment sine die
tomorrow at noon